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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26875231">Nintendo Switch (Part One)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/skymageariel/pseuds/skymageariel'>skymageariel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>31 days of The Dragon Prince [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Filler, Fluff, Fun, Gen, Orchestra, orchestra AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:49:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26875231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/skymageariel/pseuds/skymageariel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezran’s gearing up for his first recital ever; excited to show off everything he’s learned to his older brother. But when Ez finds out Callum can’t be there, his attitude about performing changes. Meanwhile, Soren struggles and succeeds in leading a team of inexperienced back stage techies to victory.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Janaya (The Dragon Prince), Rayllum (The Dragon Prince)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>31 days of The Dragon Prince [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nintendo Switch (Part One)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me!” Soren yelled when he got the email from Amaya. “They’re hosting a </span>
  <em>
    <span>middle school </span>
  </em>
  <span>recital at the high school? Now I have to run tech!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you get paid for those though?” Claudia said, filing her nails on Soren’s bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I hate middle schoolers!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be fine. What color do you think I should go with today?” She compared three bottles, almost identical to one another. “Should I do purple, blue, or black?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soren turned in his chair to see the bottles. “They're all the same color.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s about the undertones,” Claudia replied. “I think purple.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever- I can’t think about this right now. The recital’s tomorrow night, and now I have to learn the whole program.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there a dress rehearsal or anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah- tonight.” Soren peered at the email. “At six.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oof, good luck,” Claudia said. The scent of nail polish filled the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god- Clauds, can’t you do that in your room?” He turned in his chair to face her again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she answered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because then my room would smell like nail polish.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well can you get out? I need to make some phone calls.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh, Mr. Business-Man, gonna make some business phone calls oooh,” she teased, slipping onto the floor, “I hope your clients don’t switch to another company ooooh.” The door shut behind her, and Soren rolled his eyes. He pulled out his phone, dialing his assistant stage manager. After two rings, she picked up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heyy!” he answered in a sing-song voice. “How’s my favorite assistant stage manager?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Rayla groaned. Soren could almost hear her rolling her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amaya sent a last minute email. There’s a middle school orchestra recital tomorrow night, and the dress rehearsal is later today.” Soren skimmed the email. “They’re paying us. And I need a full crew- they want the works. Lights, sound, curtains. Can you make it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Ezran’s recital!” Rayla exclaimed! “I was gonna watch it, but if you need help, I don’t mind hanging out backstage.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you knew about this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well yeah. Callum’s been hyping it up all week.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you knew they’d be using the stage and you didn’t tell me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the stage manager, I thought you knew.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I didn’t. Can you make it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I already said yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perfect. See you tonight at six.” Soren hung up without waiting for an answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In his head, he checked off his mental list. Stage manager, check. Assistant stage manager, check. According to the email Janai was confirmed to run the sound board.. Either way, that wasn’t his responsibility, so, check. All he needed was a lights guy. He double checked the email- Amaya was in the house, Gren backstage to manage the middle schoolers- no one available for lights.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“CLAUDIA.” He yelled to the other room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YEAH?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“CAN YOU RUN LIGHTS FOR THE RECITAL?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHAT?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“CAN YOU. RUN LIGHTS. FOR THE RECITAL.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“NO.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well shit,” Soren muttered. He was out of options, only one person left to call. He picked up his phone, dialing one last person.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” Callum answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have no people to run lights for the recital tomorrow, can you do it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For Ezran’s recital tomorrow?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Geez, did everybody know about this but me?” Soren glanced back at the email. No wonder it was so last minute- Amaya assumed everyone knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s my brother’s recital, of course I knew.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. Can you make it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, I’d love to, but he really wants me to be in the audience. It’s his first solo, and-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, that’s great. I really need someone on lights. Dress is tonight at six and I’ve got no one. You can watch the recital from the booth, you’ll just have to learn a few lights cues.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hate to pull the money card, but you are getting paid.” Soren rubbed his eyes. Callum paused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How much?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, I think your cut is like, $150?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, really? With that, I could finally get Ez that switch he’s been asking for! Sign me up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhg, thank you! You’re a lifesaver.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anytime! You know I’ve never run lights before, though, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eh, you’ll learn.” Soren hung up quickly. Dress rehearsal was in four hours, and Soren barely had any time to learn the set list. This was gonna be great.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callum put down his phone, returning to the chemistry notes he was working on. Except now, he couldn’t focus. Running lights was a big deal, especially for a concert like this. Normally, Claudia was in the booth, running lights when she wasn’t on stage. But for some reason, she couldn’t be there, which made Callum the lucky one. He’d never done that before! How was he supposed to master an entire program in two hours the night before a recital? Not to mention that this was Ezran’s recital. If he couldn’t be in the audience to support him, it became his job to make it as special as possible. But how could he do that if he’d never done lights before!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Callum!” Ezran bound in the room, causing his brother to jump. “Callum, I can’t find my bow- I think I left it at school, and I neeeeeeeeed it to practice, can you come with me to get it?” He asked, coming over to Callum’s desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, no worries,” he smiled, “We’ll get your bow, and then you can practice to your heart’s content.” Callum stood and he and Ezran walked out of the room together, heading to Callum’s car.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I sit in the front seat?” Ez whispered as they put on their shoes in the foyer. Callum nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just don’t tell Dad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the school building, Ezran raced to the orchestra room, leaving Callum to catch up. They jogged through the halls, which were eerily empty. Something about being at school on a Saturday always felt eerie. As Ezran ducked into the music room, Callum started to wonder how he’d break the news to his little brother. Maybe it would be a white lie, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I got the best seats in the house, all the way up in the booth! </span>
  </em>
  <span>or would it be </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m so excited for your solo, that I’m gonna be the one to shine the spotlight on you! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Callum shook his head. Ezran was naive, not stupid. He’d figure out one way or another that Callum wasn’t going to be actually watching the program, and when he came to that realization, he would be devastated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Found it!” Ezran called, bounding out of the room with his bow and hand. He swung it around like a sword, excited to have it back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Be careful,” Callum warned as they walked back towards the front of the building. “If you’re not careful, it'll break. Happened to me once right before a concert.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Realy?!” Ez asked, eyes wide with interest. Callum nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was walking off stage, dropped it by accident and it just-“ he imitated a cracking sound, “-snapped in half.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What! What did you do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was lucky someone else had an extra, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to play!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow!” Ezran exclaimed. “You’re really unlucky.” They left the building, crossing the pavement back to the car.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me,” he scoffed. “Do you need a ride to the rehearsal tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, actually. Are you gonna take me?” he asked as he got into the passenger seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Callum took a deep breath as he buckled his seatbelt. “Yeah, I figured we’d go together since I need to be there too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh cool!” Ez laughed. “Wait, why do you need to be there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I’ll be in the booth, running lights.” Callum gripped the steering wheel as they turned out of the parking lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not gonna watch?” Ezran whispered with big, sad eyes. Callum hated when he did that- he looked like a lost puppy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be watching,” he assured him, “I’ll have the best seat in the house.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Okay.” Ezran crossed his arms, staring out the window. Callum shook his head, disappointed in himself. He was only doing lights to get him that stupid video game system, but was it even worth it if Ezran was upset?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither of them talked the entire way home. As soon as they pulled in the driveway, Ez took his bow and ran into the house and upstairs to get as far away from Callum as he could. With heavy footsteps, Callum went inside and into his room. This rehearsal was gonna be interesting, to say the least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Six o’clock rolled around, and Soren was alone backstage. His crew was supposed to be there fifteen minutes early for the rundown, and none of the people he called in had shown up yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where is my team?” he said aloud to the empty backstage, clipboard in hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m here, I’m here, sorry!” Callum said, rushing through the backstage doors. “Getting Ezran ready to go was a hassle. He didn’t want to play if I wasn’t gonna be in the audience-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yah huh, that’s cool. Where’s your aunts? Where’s Gren? Where’s Rayla?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amaya and Janai are walking in now. Gren is in the chorus room making sure the cellist don’t stab someone with their end pins. And Rayla is-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right here.” Rayla jumped down from the staircase that led into the cats. “Oh, ye of little faith. You should know by now that I’m always on time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What were you doing up there?” Soren asked. “You’re on curtains tonight, not lights.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhg, really?” she groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, really. I need you backstage to help the kids with their cues. You’re good with kids.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I hate kids!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you’re good with them. And given the fact that Callum will be in the booth, I think Ezran would like to see a familiar face or two before going on.” Soren flipped through the papers on his clipboard. “When Janai and Amaya get here, we’ll start the rundown.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re already here,” Came Janai’s voice from behind the curtain. She came forward, hand in hand with Amaya. As soon as she showed up, Callum began to interpret the things that everyone was saying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you all timing your entrances like that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amaya and I have already set up the booth, and we’re ready to go. All we need is the rundown; and that’s where you come in.” Janai waved her hand towards him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Soren glanced at his cue sheet. “We’ve only got a couple minutes until the kids start lining up backstage. We’ve got fifteen acts in the first half, then intermission, then another twelve. Most of these kids are soloists with piano accompaniment, so Callum, your lighting setup is gonna stay the same for a bit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how to do lights,” Callum interrupted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Suck it up and learn. Janai, your job on sound is to balance the ensembles, and make sure everyone’s heard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if the kids suck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then make sure they can’t be heard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if they're a soloist?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just-“ Soren shook his head, pressing his lips together, trying hard not to let her soft laugh get to him, “You know how to do your job, so just do it! Rayla, watch me for the cues. Corvus will be beside Amaya in the audience, who will be watching and giving the signal to close the curtain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Gren?” Callum said, reading from Amaya’s hand. “He normally helps give the signals.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s regrettably helping with the kids. I wish he were here too, but we’re in desperate need of someone who can make sure they don’t walk out on stage before they’re supposed to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought that was my job,” Rayla said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s both of your jobs!” Soren yelled, checking his watch. “Dress starts now, I need everybody in positions. Callum, Janai, in the booth. Amaya, in the house- Corvus will be here in a few minutes. Rayla, you and I are back here. Let’s move.” The doors started opening, a sea of sweaty, extremely talkative middle schoolers flooded through. Callum, Janai, and Amaya split as quickly as possible. Soren and Rayla were stuck there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the booth, Callum stared at the light board in complete confusion. There were so many dials and buttons and sliders. How was he supposed to master this before the actual recital?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you nervous?” Janai asked, putting on her headset. Callum nodded silently. “Do not worry, I will be here every step of the way. Lights is all about following instructions.” She pushed up a slider in the middle of the board, and a huge light came on in the middle of the stage. “This is light twenty-seven. It’s labeled on the board, and written on your cue sheet.” She pointed to a number on the cue sheet next to the name of the ensemble. “If it’s a group ensemble, use light twenty-seven, as they are going to be in the middle of the stage.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Callum muttered, watching Rayla bring out chairs and stands for the first ensemble. He brought the lights down one more time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When Amaya gives the cue on headset, then you will turn up the light again.” Janai handed him a headset and Callum. He put it on, watching the seats where Amaya was sitting, Corvus next to her. She gave the nod, and Corvus said,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cue curtain, cue lights.” The curtains opened wide, four little kids walking on stage. Two violinists, a violist, and a cellist. Callum brought up the lights as the kids made their way into their seats. “Cue sound,” Corvus said as the four began playing. Callum immediately cringed. They were in middle school and it showed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When the song is done, they will take their bow. As they walk off stage, you will lower light twenty-seven, and bring up lights eight and seventeen,” Janai said, referencing the cue sheet they shared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why eight and seventeen?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because the next ensemble is a pair of two players. They will stand opposite one another, and these lights ensure that they are both seen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makes sense,” Callum shrugged, bringing up lights eight and seventeen. Rayla and Soren pushed a grand piano out onto the stage, just as a violinist came out, setting her music on a stand. “I hope Ezran’s doing okay,” Callum said, listening to the soloist. “I bet he’s nervous out of his mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He will be okay,” Janai assured him, “Ezran is a strong young man.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is, it’s just…” Callum sighed. “He wanted me to watch the recital, not work during it. He’s really mad at me for it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then why aren’t you watching?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because- all of his friends can play Animal Crossing on the switch, and he doesn’t have either of those things. After tonight, I’ll have enough money to buy it for him.” After a few minutes, the solo ended and Callum brought down the lights. “I wanted him to be happy, but now he’s miserable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd of children backstage dwindled, leaving Ezran alone with his cello. Gren had busied himself with signing kids out after they finished rehearsing, so Soren and Rayla stood with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to do great!” Rayla assured him as the second-to-last act played. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re like, a prodigy,” Soren added. “I would hire you to play my wedding.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys,” Ezran muttered, staring at the floor. “It means a lot.” Rayla and Soren exchanged a glance. Something was bothering him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ez, what’s wrong?” Rayla asked, kneeling by his side. “You can talk to us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, it’s just-“ he shook his head. “Callum promised he’d watch my first recital. But now he’s in the booth, working again. I just wish he could sit back and be here for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rayla sighed. “I know what that’s like. Callum has a tendency to be a bit all over the place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He took the job because he wanted to help,” Soren offered. “If he weren’t here, there’d be no one on lights. You’d be playing on stage in the dark, and that’s no fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. I just wish he were in the audience.” The lights faded, and the viola trio filed offstage one by one. Rayla grabbed a chair, ready to bring it out for Ezran to play.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Need a stand?” she asked. Ez shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I have it memorized.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ezran walked out on stage, the lights warming the air around him. He tried to look up at the booth, trying to find Callum, but the lights were too bright. So Ezran sat and played his solo, completely alone. He felt completely alone.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks so much for reading! this ones only two parts, so stay tuned for tomorrow! hope you enjoyed &lt;3 follow my twitter for updates- @oceanmagecalIum</p></blockquote></div></div>
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